*SPOILER* Harry Potter book 7 question:

[kay1864]

(my original set of questions are here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=6750409 )

I posted this in the Lounge, but thought more HP readers might see it here...


I was wondering about something (where Harry got his broomstick after getting the diadem, since his Firebolt was gone), so I looked it up, and I looked up the Bathilda/Nagini scene as well.

Turns out Bathilda/Nagini said "Come" before Harry went upstairs, not after: (p. 336)

"Come!" called Bathilda from the next room.
Hermione jumped and clutched Harry's arm.
"It's okay," said Harry...

So my question is still:

3. How could Nagini (in Mathilda's body) say "Come" from the next room?

Either Nagini somehow manipulated Mathilda's vocal cords (unlikely) or she spoke Parseltongue.

So why didn't Hermione recognize that it was Parseltongue? She's heard Harry speak it on more than one occasion. Surely she would do more than just jump, as smart as she is.

Obviously there's no way around it, since it would ruin the reveal. JKR could have just left it out though, and had them follow her (since they wanted to talk to her anyway).

[Branjor]

1. The broomstick....

was part of the piled up rubble in the room. Harry just grabbed it and took off.

I think Nagini/Mathilda *was* speaking parseltongue and harry didn't realize it. Good question about Hermione - I think you caught a mistake there.

[kay1864]

2. Yep, I found the broomsticks part

Wasn't it convenient that there were two broomsticks there, and Harry found them just as the fire was about to get them? :P


I did love this book. Best of the 7 IMHO.

[XemaSab]

3. In Chamber of Secrets

neither Ron nor Hermione heard anything when the basilisk was talking. I figured Parseltongue just sounded like ambient background noise unless you spoke the language or someone in front of you was speaking it. :shrug:

[kay1864]

4. Good point...

however, Hermione did jump, so she heard *something* from the next room.

If she actually heard the English word "Come!" barked at her, she would jump.

If, OTOH, she heard a weird hissing noise, she would say something like "Harry, what's that weird hissing noise?" :P

[Matilda]

5. Nagini (as Bathilda) didn't speak at all until alone with Harry

in the bedroom. She simply moved her head in the direction she wanted to go.

Hermione was alerted by the sounds she heard - Bathilda's body collapsing and Harry crashing into
the dressing-table as Nagini lunged at him. She was no doubt on the alert anyway, because the
whole episode was so spooky from the start, and Hermione always acted quickly.

[kay1864]

6. Not quite

The excerpted passage above shows her speaking from another room, before Harry went upstairs.

[Matilda]

7. Ah, yes, I went back a bit further (I have the book with me).

It must have been parseltongue, because the snake couldn't speak anything else - in fact of course
Hermione would probably would have made a comment, but Rowling didn't want to give anything away
by having Hermione refer to hissing.

I suppose we have to put it down to poetic license.

[kay1864]

8. Yep, that's what I was thinking

OTOH she could have left out that part entirely. The idea of Bathilda being mute isn't entirely suspicious (well, no more than her other odd behavior). Since H&H wanted to talk to her, he can still believably follow her upstairs.

Next time I talk to Jo I'll be sure to set her straight :rofl: